Regeneration of india-rubber waste.



I No Drawing.

LOUIS CHARLES ALEXANDRE DE GLERCQ, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

REGENERATION F INDIA-RUBBER WASTE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ratented Dec. 12, 1911.

Application filed May 9, 1910. Serial No. 560,160.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS CHARLES ALEX- ANDRE DE CLERCQ,,2L citizen ofthe French Republic, residing at Paris, of the Department of the Seine,in France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in theRegeneration of India-Rubber Waste, of

which the following is a specification.

The invention has for its object a method of treating vulcanized'indiarubber waste whereby the gums can be regenerated and againrendered soluble in their ordinary solvents a property destroyed bytheir vulcanization. J

The process forming the object of the.

120 and 140 C. for several hours in the presence of an excess of spiritsof turpentine to which a hydrocarbon such as naphthalene has been added.The weight of naphthalene should be at least double the weight of thesulfur contained in the india-rubber treated, this weight of sulfurhaving been determined in the laboratory by a preliminary analysis.-

The operation being finished there is withdrawn from the digester amagma contain-.

in sulfur, gum and the ordina mineral lofding materials but in which thesulfur, as it no longer forms an intimate combination with the gums,will not prevent the latter from being acted upon by their ordinarysolvents. The final stage in the process of regenerating the gums is asfollows: The magma withdrawn from the digester is first of all treatedwith a large quantity of the solvent, spirits of turpentine for example;the mineral loading materials incorporated with the gums will fall downto the bottom of the tank; the solution will then be concentrated untilit attains a syrupy consistency, it is then treated with alcohol oracetone which will preci itate the regenerated gums in carrying '0 thenaphthalene. The small proportion of sulfur that may remain in theregenerated gums, being no longer combined, will not in any way impedethe operation to which it is desired to subject these gums. If it isonly desired to recover the mixture of gums and mineral loadingmaterials freed I from the combined sulfur, it is only necessary to washin alcohol the magma withdrawn from the digester. In this manner thenaphthalene contained therein is eliminated.

The process would not be modified if I spirits of turpentine werereplaced by some other solvent for the gums, and if the naphthalene werereplaced by another hydrocarbon such as toluene, or a derivative ofbenzin.

I claim:

The process of regenerating vulcanized rubber waste which consistssolely in subjectin the waste at a temperature of about 130 to thesimultaneous action of spirits of turpentine and naphthalene.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set presence of two subscrlbing myhand in witnesses.

LOUIS CHARLES ALEXANDREDE GLERCQ.

Witnesses:

H. O. Coxn, Gnomes BOUJER.

